Electric fan



mm E, 193. v w. M. YOUNG m m ELECTRIC FAN Filed Aug. 27, 1934 Williamfburg,

Patented Jan. 14, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application August 27,

- 5 'Claims.

.My present invention,- in its broad vaspect, has to -do with improvements in electric iansioi the type designed-torotate'on'a fixed base to direct air currents .radially through all degees of a circle,- and whichis .further adjustable to regulate the planeof the air blast angularly with respect tothe axis :of circular rotation of the fan, and .which haszmeans for automatically controlling the speed of :rotationof the fan; furthermore my fan r'assembly may be converted by a simpleadjustment into a single directionvian, and rota- :tionalmovement is produced by=air-bacl pressure from the fan,-while the braking action is controlled byathe centrifugal force generated by the circular movement of the fan :assembly whereby the extent of braking .actiondsiin direct proportion'to the speed'of rotation.

:There are .a number of problems confronting the-originator of apractical, universally rotating breezefan; some. of these arelstto attain the required simplicityfor economical production, sale and every-day use'2nd, to insure at all times continuous electricalin-put to the .fan'motor despite rotation or the fan assembly, and to properly in-- sulate the circuit 3rd, to avoidfragility of parts and at the same time attain compactness to the -.end'that theassembly will standcontinuous operation .andhard usageiby; persons essentially unfamiliar with the operation and care-of machinery, and :attain lightness and :ready -:portability 4th, to provide for pleasing appearance and at the same time protect the parts iromudamage, dust and thelike, so thatthe fan. maybe treated as an ordinary and conventional household appurtenanceoth, to attain automatic control and operation without complicating its-structure and proper functioning simply by cuttingin the-current, so :that a person normally unfamiliar with the-intricacies ofsmachinerymay operate the fan satisfactorily:andsafely, and 6th, to attain maximumcirculation-of air-Lnot onlyin theplane of I the circularpath of rotation, but inaotherplanes tangential or angular Ltheretowhereby .parts of a-room crthe'like maybe served by thefanzeffectively without considering niceties of :place- :ment of the fan. assembly.

It=is believed that'mypresent invention effec- =tivelyrsolveszall of the :problems briefly outlined above and .in addition'insures economical operation-either'as a'rotating fan 'or'sas a directrstatiODfiIYyfiil blast fan, :but additional advantages will be apparent from the following detailed .description of the invention taken :in conjunction :with the'ldrawing forminga part -;of this applica- .551tion. However, since .unforeseen practical ;exi-= 1934, Serial No. 741,696

gencies may indicate changes in form, size, shape and position of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as herein broadly outlined; it is to be understood that such changes are permissible provided they are within the purview of what is claimed.

In the drawing wherein I have shown a preferred form of my invention Figure 1 is a vertical section therethrough with part 01' the fan structure shown fragmentarily;

Figure 2 is a side view of the fan assembly;

Figure 3 is a plan view looking down toward the rotating fan pedestal and the base;

Figure 4 is a detail of the current in-put;

Figure 5 is a modified form of fan mounting.

In the drawing, wherein like characters of reference are used to designate like or similar parts throughout the several views;-

The numeral I designates the stationary base of the fan assembly which is preferably circular in plan view, but which may be square or irregularly shaped if desired. The base is flanged down as at 2 to provide a space 3 beneath the top 4 thereof so that the in-put wires 5 and 6 will not come into contact with a table or the like upon which the fan may be placed.

The positive and negative terminals 5 and 6 of the composite cable 'I are attached to electrical fittings 8 and 9 positioned in the top 4 of the base. Each fitting includes a cylindrical insulating member I 0 rigidly fixed in the top of the base and a square bushing I I to which the cable ends connect; a square contact member I2 is carried in each member ID and is maintained in position by spring I3 engaging ball fitting I4 at one end and the cable terminal at the other. Rising vertically from the center of the top 4 of the base is a standard I 5 upon which the rotating unit I6 oi my fan is mounted in a manner which will hereinafter appear.

Carried by the standard I5 and having antiifrictional support thereon as at I"! is a tubular, cylindrical carriage I8 extending practically the length of the standard and designed to freely revolve thereon. Fixed on the upper end of the carriage is an arm I9 having end-ball-thrustbearing contact with the end of the standard as shown to properly position and retain the assembly. Also attached to the carriage I8 is an insulating collar 2I in the under surface of which are embedded circular contact rings 22 and 23 having wiping, continuous contact with contact'members I2 of fittings 8 and 9 respectively, and which in .turn are connected with electrical fittings .24 and 25 for positive and negative connections 26 and 27 to the fan motor 28. Fittings 2 and 25 are each formed with a brass receptacle 29 a plunger 30 and an insulating piece 3| through which the cable end is carried to engagement with the plunger part 30. Both fittings are alike and current is continuously passed in an economical manner therethrough to the motor 28 irrespective of rotation of the fan assembly. The motor 28 has spaced depending legs 28a fixed to pivoted bracket 32 on the arm l9 carried by the carriage I8, and said pivoted bracket has a depending leg 33 coupled with a transversely positioned pin or link 34 which extends through an opening in the carriage and has its end engaged with the standard IS. The pin is provided with screw threads 35 and an adjusting nut 36 there being a spring 31 about the pin 34 which engages at one end the wall of the carriage I8 and at the other against the nut 36.

The fan 38, fan guard 39 and motor 28 are supported on the pivoted bracket 32 so that the pin 34 is normally out of contact with the standard l5 against the pressure of the spring 37; when the current is applied and the fan is in operation the back pressure, acting through the arm It causes the carriage and all the other rotating parts to revolve about the standard 15, in which case the centrifugal action or force acting upon the motor and fan assembly acts through pivoted bracket 32 to press the end of the pin 34 against the stand ard I5 thereby braking the rotational movement of the assembly so that proper operation is obtained.

If it is desired to use the fan as a fixed direction fan, the thumb nut 46 is tightened up-same extending through the carriage IE to engagement with the standard 15 to lock the rotational parts against movement.

In order that the fan (and motor assembly) may be adjusted to generate a draft in planes other than defined by the rotational movement, I have provided a pivotal attachment between the depending legs 23a of the motor and the bracket 32, same including a pin M, a bushing 42 about the pin 4| and a wing nut 43 so that the motor and fan assembly can be manually adjusted by simply loosening up the Wing nut. In the form shown in Figure 5 the motor and fan assembly are simply bolted as at 44 to the arm l9 and the angular position of the fan adjusted by nut 43. No centrifugal brake is used with this form, and the various speeds of circular movement are controlled by turning the motor and fan assembly at various angles in relation to the circular path of travel. By this construction various circular speeds may be obtained without the use of a governor or a centrifugal brake.

From the foregoing it is believed that the con struction and operation of my fan are apparent to one skilled in the art, but it is pointed out that it is merely necessary to turn on the current to start the fan in which case all other action is automatic, including proper braking or" the rotational movement. Furthermore there are no fragile parts which are likely to become broken, and no exposed parts which might accumulate dust and the like. The fan assembly is light, compact, and durable, and may be manufactured and sold at a reasonable figure; the exposed parts may be subject to wide variation as to shape and configuration-401" instance the base may be octagon shape, or oval or square; so that the design of the exposed portions of the assembly may be made to conform to current artistic concepts.

wing nut 43 to alter the angular position of the -L fan. It is again emphasized, however, that changes in form, size position and relationship of parts are permissible provided such changes fall within the purview of the appended claims.

1. An electric fan comprising a stationary base portion, a fan and motor supporting portion mounted for free rotational movement on the base, said fan and motor being off-set with respect to the axis of rotation of said portion whereby to set-up a back pressure upon actuation of said fan tangential to the axis of rotation thereby to actuate the rotating portion, and a braking device operatively connected with the fan and motor assembly and functioning through centrifugal force generated by rotation of said fan and motor assembly to engage the stationary base portion with increasing pressure as the speed of rotation of the fan and motor assembly in creases to form a drag, and means for regulating said pressure.

2. An electric fan comprising a stationary base portion, and a fan and motor supporting portion mounted for free rotation on the base, and a brake mechanism including a spring pressed brake pin and means for regulating the effective tension of the spring associated with the fan and motor assembly and actuated by centrifugal force generated by rotation of the fan and motor assembly to control the speed of rotation of said rotating portion by engaging the stationary base part with a pressure increasing with the increase in speed of rotation of the Ian and motor assembly; said pressure being exerted against the tension of the spring.

3. An electric Ian comprising a stationary base portion, a tan and motor supporting portion mounted for free rotation on the base, wiping electrical contacts between the base and the rotating portions and having connections with an in-put circuit and the motor to actuate the motor during rotation 01 said supporting portion, a laterally extending arm, a pivoted bracket on the arm, and an adjustable mounting for the motor and fan assembly on the bracket whereby the position of the same may be changed angularly with respect to the plane of rotation, and a brake mechanism connected with the bracket and actuated by centrifugal force generated by rotation of the fan and motor assembly to control the speed of rotation of the supporting portion.

4. An electric fan comprising a stationary base portion, a fan and motor supporting portion mounted for free rotation on the base, wiping electrical contacts between the base and the rotating portions and having connections with an in-put circuit in the base, and a motor circuit in the rotating portion whereby to actuate the motor during rotation of the supporting portion, the motor and fan assembly being oil-set with respect to the axis of rotation of said supporting portion whereby to rotate the supporting portion through back pressure of air from the fan, and a braking mechanism operatively associated with the fan and motor assembly and cooperating with a stationary element on the base for controlling the speed of rotation in proportion to centrifugal force generated by rotation of the fan and motor assembly, and said fan and motor assembly being mounted for manual adjustment to vary the angular direction of the air blast with respect to the plane of rotation thereof.

5. An electric fan comprising a stationary element and a rotating element, the fan and motor assembly carried by the rotating element in a position off-set with respect to the axis of rotation whereby to generate a back pressure upon actuation of the fan tangential to the axis of rotation of the member; said fan and motor being mounted for slight pivotal movement in a direction at right-angles to the plane of rotation, and a braking mechanism operatively connected therewith to utilize said pivotal movement to automatically control the speed of rotation of said element in proportion to the extent of centrifugal force generated, and means for manually adjusting said fan and motor assembly to direct 10 the air blast at various angles.

WILLIAM M. YOUNG. 

